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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24059524">One's curse is another's miracle~</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CottonAuroras/pseuds/CottonAuroras'>CottonAuroras</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ATEEZ (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Blond Ponytail Yeosang, Brief kidnapping, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hongjoong is a miracle, How Do I Tag This, I don't know what else, Kim Hongjoong-centric, M/M, Mentioned Explosions, Mentioned arson, Mentioned violence, Mingi is an astronomer/time keeper, Multi, OT8, Park Seonghwa-centric, Recovery, Religion as a way to excuse shitty behaviour, San bakes and makes things, Yunho is a healer, calico cat Hongjoong, cat rasism, cursing, descriptions of trauma, hongjoong is done, hongjoong lives in self imposed exile, low self confidence, mentioned hate speech, mentioned torture, needlesly poetic, please tell me and I will add it, self doubt, seonghwa has a dark past, talk of trauma and torture, werecat Ateez, wooyoung and Jongho hunt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:48:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,118</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24059524</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CottonAuroras/pseuds/CottonAuroras</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>My prompt was "Werecats! Big cat shapeshifters who form a little clan of sorts"<br/>well...They're not exactly...big cats. They're just shapeshifters living in villages.<br/>It spiraled out of control...and a one shot became a chaptered fic. </p><p>Seonghwa ran away from the horrors of his capture, memories of his home and himself.<br/>Hongjoong finds not only a cat that seems to worship him but also courage to finally face his fears<br/>together they officially join the Aurora clan and find more than just one love</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>ATEEZ Ensemble/Everyone, Choi Jongho/Kim Hongjoong, Choi Jongho/Park Seonghwa, Choi San/Kim Hongjoong, Choi San/Park Seonghwa, Jeong Yunho/Kim Hongjoong, Jeong Yunho/Park Seonghwa, Jung Wooyoung/Kim Hongjoong, Jung Wooyoung/Park Seonghwa, Kang Yeosang/Kim Hongjoong, Kang Yeosang/Park Seonghwa, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa, Kim Hongjoong/Song Mingi, OT8 - Relationship, Park Seonghwa/Everyone, Park Seonghwa/Song Mingi, fuck you i'm tagging every ship, they're all boyfriends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>73</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>leviathanfest</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this summary sucks I know<br/>I hope you like it! I worked really hard on it and tried a different style than I usually use.<br/>Please enjoy! Remember to leave a comment, I always answer them and they're a great motivation!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hongjoong woke up in his house. Ears twitching, tail itching after being laid on the whole night, the hybrid stretched his arms and woke up. He scratched his back and walked up to his little fire place. He lit the fire and poured in some water in the big pot above it: he will have enough for both tea and to make some chicken soup later.</p><p>Hongjoong doesn’t bother to put anything on. He knows any clothes would get lost in the woods after his daily run. Instead he waited patiently until the water boiled and made himself some tea from the dried leaves, left over after winter. The only thing he put on his body was a piece of cloth to keep his skin from direct contact with the hot drink.</p><p>He spent the rest of the morning drinking tea and eating berries he gathered yesterday from his garden. Some blueberries, raspberries and even few strawberries he managed to find. It wasn’t much but it wasn’t exactly prime berry season yet: for that he would have to wait some more.</p><p>When the rest of the tea grew cold and the little bowl has been emptied, he stretched once again and walked out of his little house before slowly shifting into his cat form.</p><p>He was a small but nimble cat. Ears two different tones of brown, fur on his back the colour of the sunset and tail ending in a white tip. And Hongjoong’s signature: the two black spots on his right ear. He heard humans call cats like him Tri-coloured, calico, unusual...but in his previous clan all he was...was a mistake. But shaking off the bad memories, he went into a run. Around the forest, through his favourite spots and places. But then he heard it.</p><p>
  <em>A cry for help.</em>
</p><p>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Seonghwa had been running for hours. He didn’t know if the hums still chased him or not but he didn’t care. He had to keep running. He was too tired, too malnourished to change into his cat form. They kept him without food or light of day for a long, long time and they did it intentionally. If he could change into a cat, he would be able to ran away much more easily. And one time he did...it didn’t end well. So, when an opportunity arose, he ran away. He thought nobody saw him but in no time, he was chased by two of the guarding hums. They could kill but they were nothing compared to the ones inside the bricked building. Those inside could torture, hate and play with him however they could. And so...he ran from them.</p><p>His energy was gone long ago, he wasn’t even looking where he ran, his eyes opened just enough to see the light and shapes of the forest. He was fighting not to give up and honestly...he didn’t know what pushed him to still run. All he felt was exhaustion. His bones felt like they were filled with cement and rubbing against one another. He thought that his muscles boiled and rot from all the movement. He was pretty sure that if someone cut off his legs, he wouldn’t feel it. Or he would feel relief even.</p><p>He suddenly toppled to the ground with a cry of surprise and pain, falling onto the wet morning grass. Thankfully he didn’t hit his head on anything, landing on moss and grass. He didn’t have any will or energy to move from the spot. All he felt was the constant buzzing of his muscles spasming and his skin finally touching something that wasn’t a cold wall. And then he managed to smile. If he were to die here, at least he did in the forest, away from the hums. Here I end my life.<em> Gods please, let me live this wretched earth in peace</em> was Seonghwa’s thought before he saw something moving, going around him. Small paws moving around the spot Seonghwa laid on. He saw brown and white and spots of black on the body of a cat. A miracle. He thought. He didn’t feel that bad about dying anymore. He felt tired and exhausted but surprisingly...satisfied. At least he died by himself, because of his own actions and not the will of the terrible hums. <em>Gods have blessed me in my last moment</em> was his last thought before succumbing to his sleep.</p><p>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Waking up was something Seonghwa liked most of the time. He never had much problems with it: He opened his eyes, snuggled closer to his favourite pillow before stretching and pulling the covers off of him. He would sit on the bed, yawn to let the last of the sleepiness out and stood up to take a dip in the lake behind his clan’s territory.</p><p>But since being captured by the hums he hated waking up. Waking up meant another day of torture, another day of being a toy for beings worse than hell. He wanted to sleep and never wake up. To escape the terrible life he was given, to escape the hunger, the thirst, the numbness he felt. And it seemed like got what he wanted. For a time, he felt like he was out of his body. Sitting in some kind of void space, between the living realm and the realm of gods and dreams. But then he remembered. The miracle, the three-coloured cat. He was curious: What was the cat’s name? Where did they live? Was he worshipped in his own clan? He wanted to meet the cat, know things about them...that was the only thing that kept him from reaching for the bright blue light. And then he woke up.</p><p>It was like pulling your head out of the water after a long time. Like waking up when you’re sick and your head is full of stones and cotton. Everything is too quiet yet too loud, muted and too sharp at once. Seonghwa tried opening his eyes once but quickly shut them again due to the light in front of him.</p><p>Then he heard a voice. “Oh my god! You’re alive! Hongjoong will be so happy, he prayed and cared for you all this time” The voice said loudly. Too loudly. It sounded young, excited but also mature. Seonghwa winced. He didn’t mean too but every was just too much. “Ahh I’m sorry...” the voice apologised. It was soft with a hit of deepness, like flower honey or a sunrise just beginning to peak from behind the horizon. Seonghwa liked that voice. “I suppose you just woke up so you’d sensitive...I’m sorry once again. But could you try opening your eyes? I need to see if everything is okay” Seonghwa let himself show the tiniest smile. The voice was very concerned about him. He guessed he can try again.</p><p>Opening his eyes fully took some time but when he finally did, the first thing he saw was a wooden ceiling. It was made from trees, cut down and tied together to form a roof over the what he assumed is a house. The next thing was a head of brown, fluffy looking hair and warm brown eyes which reminded him of the crust on freshly baked bread. He would really like something like that right now.</p><p>“Your eyes seem to be fine...I don’t see anything wrong.” The boy said and left Seonghwa’s field of vision. The male heard something scratching on a piece of paper and he assumed the boy checking on him was writing something, maybe about Seonghwa’s state.</p><p>“Now you’re awake I can introduce both this place and myself. This is the clan of Aurora and I’m Yunho, the wholesome medic of this clan. Hongjoong hyung found you nearly dead on the border of our territory and you’ve been brought here to heal.” The boy, Yunho, said. His voice held much more maturity and calmness now, like an ocean that gently moves its waves on the beach.</p><p>“How...How long...” Seonghwa tried to speak. But his throat was dry and scratchy, a fire spreading thought from the base of his neck to his mouth. But to his surprise Yunho understood him. Maybe that’s why he was the medic.</p><p>‘How long you’ve been here?” He asked what Seonghwa wanted to say and paused to search before looking at Hwa.</p><p>
  <em> “It will be 6 months today”</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After 6 months Seonghwa finally woke up.<br/>What awaits him is one excited calico cat and his myriad of friends.<br/>Aka Hwa wakes up and meets the boys.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello!<br/>I'm sorry this chapter took so long. I had it halfway done but then a ton of stuff happened (and is still happening) and I had a major creative block.<br/>But it's here! I hope you like it. Please tell me in the comments! They fuel my passion for this project.<br/>Also thank you Rita, my sweetie for being my beta! You're a lovely person</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>6 months.</p><p>That’s how long Hongjoong prayed for, fed, washed and watched the mysterious man he found during his morning run. He watched as the man tripped on a tree root and fell down onto the grass just as Hongjoong came to check the source of the painful cry he heard. He remembers the smell of distress, the expression on the man’s face: looking like he lived next door with pain and discomfort. He remembers how quickly he shifted and yelled for someone to help him bring the stranger to Yunho.</p><p><br/>
And now that the stranger woke up according to Yunho and Hongjoong was about to see him. He gathered his emotions, took a deep breath and opened the doors to the medic’s house.<br/>
The first thing he saw was a bandaged, pale man, laying on the bed. The same man from 6 months ago, although looking much more healthy than before. Hongjoong had to say: the man was actually quite attractive when he wasn't near death. Soft golden blond hair, a pair of soft looking cat ears, the colour slightly deeper than the one on his hair. Eyes seemed to have all kinds of colours. Blue, green,grey...like an ever changing sky.</p><p><br/>
"Oh Hongjoong! Meet Seonghwa! He just told me his name! Seonghwa, this is Hongjoong, the one who saved you!" Yunho said happily and with that, Hongjoong was taken out of his daydream. He smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous tick.</p><p><br/>
"I-It's nothing… I just noticed that you fell and looked quite malnourished and bruised...I called for Yunho to get you. He did all the work" The small male said. He sat beside Seonghwa's bed shyly and looked at the man.</p><p><br/>
In this moment Seonghwa was entranced. Now he not only knew his saviour's name, Hongjoong, but also that his saviour actually wanted to talk to him and cared for him. <em>And he was beautiful.</em><br/>
His hair was a mix of reds,blonds and oranges, almost as if the sun fell upon it. His eyes, mixing light brown and dark brown like coffee with milk. His nose was soft and gentle, perfectly pairing with the pair of soft, reddish pink lips stretched in a relieved smile.</p><p><br/>
And on top of his head, a pair of tricoloured pointy ears, marking him as a miracle. Seonghwa was truly blessed.</p><p><br/>
"So...Yunho already said... I'm Hongjoong. I'm very happy you're feeling better… I wouldn't know what to do if Yunho stopped sooner and you didn't woke up…" Hongjoong said, looking at Seonghwa. He didn't know what to say in all honesty, words just spilling out of his mouth.</p><p><br/>
"T-Thank you….thank you for rescuing me and giving me a chance...to be saved by a miracle like you... I'm honoured" Seonghwa said, smiling softly at Hongjoong. The red haired male chuckled sadly, as if he didn't believe the blond's words.</p><p><br/>
"Me? A miracle? As if." Hongjoong scoffed. "More like a curse brought upon anyone who talks with me. From where in the forest you came, that you think cats like me are a miracle?" He asked, genuinely confused and surprised by the words he heard.</p><p><br/>
By this points, Yunho quietly walked out of the house, not wanting to eavesdrop on the conversation. He decided to go next door to San's house. Maybe he will help him with some sewing.<br/>
"I come from the village near the sea. We're a small clan, not many people interact with us." Seonghwa said and coughed. Hongjoong immediately reached for a glass and poured some water for the blonde cat and helped him drink it. "Thank you. As I was saying, the cats of the sea treat tricoloured cats like you with much appreciation and respect. Cats like you are born very rarely and most often time as woman. A male calico? It's simply a miracle you were born"</p><p><br/>
Hongjoong listened with interest. Him? A miracle? His first thought was <em>what kind of bullshit this is?</em> But he still nodded at Seonghwa. "Well Mr ocean cat, I'm no miracle. I bring chaos and problems. You wouldn't want to stay with me for more than a small chat. We don't want you to be injured again, so quickly after your waking up" The tri coloured cat said, looking at Seonghwa.<br/>
"Oh, I'd love to spend more than just a chat tho~" The blonde said and smiled at Hongjoong. And Hongjoong didn't know what was redder: his hair or his face.</p><p><br/>
---------------------</p><p><br/>
Seonghwa's recovery was long and hard. Each day he had to drink medicine made specifically by Yunho, then stretch his arms and move them before trying to get off the bed. Hongjoong was there too, encouraging, helping and making sure the blonde didn't over do himself.</p><p><br/>
Yunho was also bringing his friends meet Seonghwa. And while Seonghwa might call them."friends" he was sure they were much more than that. The subtle glances and touches, the smiles and whispers...these were of lovers and soulmates, not simple friends.</p><p><br/>
The first one the blonde met was a soft looking black haired male named San.</p><p><br/>
"My mom named me after a mountain cause that's where she found out she was pregnant. The doctor in the mountain village told her" That was the response Seonghwa got after asking about the black haired cat's name. San liked to talked: about the village and about himself. So Seonghwa asked him questions. At first he asked things like: "How old are you?" "How did you meet Yunho?" Then he asked "What do you do?" After getting short answers for his questions. He thought that one might make him speak more.</p><p><br/>
"Ohh? Me? I...make stuff I suppose. Mostly clothes and equipment like baskets, cooking utensils...Jongho and Hoseok hyung help me with furniture and Channie Hyung helps with toys and small trinkets cause he can sculpt and has an eye for details. What did you do when you were in your village?" The black haired boy answered, looking at Seonghwa. His eyes were shining with youth and a certain kind of passion: one you see in people genuinely enjoying their life.</p><p><br/>
“I was a cook and a baker. Had a little shop with a house above it.” Seonghwa answered. As much as he liked his clan, those memories now...he didn’t want to think about them.<br/>
The rest of the conversation revolved around San asking Seonghwa about various dishes and baked goods that he made. This way Hwa learned that the black haired kitten really liked eating and often helped another clan member, Wooyoung, with cooking. San promised to bring him to Seonghwa the next time San wanted to visit him.</p><p><br/>
And so the next person Seonghwa met was Wooyoung. Well not only Wooyoung but also a kitten San already mentioned to Seonghwa-Jongho.</p><p><br/>
“Hello! I’m Wooyoung~! Sannie must have told you a lot about me~” The man said, smiling brightly. He had a voice like the sun shining on a bright summer day or a refreshing drink. When Seonghwa looked over him, he realised that he looked like that too. He had bright purple hair with blond ears sticking out. His eyes were green like fresh grass or leaves in spring.</p><p><br/>
“This grump next to me is Jongho! We hunt together! He’s really strong but I’m the more agile one! So I jump on trees while he looks on the ground! Cool, isn’t it?” The purple haired boy said.<br/>
Jongho, as Seonghwa learned, was slightly taller than Wooyoung. He had a bit of a baby face, with short brown hair cut in a bowl shape. But his body was lean and muscly and Seonghwa was sure that the man was much, much stronger than he was.</p><p><br/>
"Please, don't mind Wooyoung. He's just easily excited with new people. Our clan is too deep in the woods for people to come often" Jongho said. His voice was calm, soft. Seonghwa wouldn't mind listening to the boy talk. And it complemented Wooyoung's voice nicely.</p><p> </p><p>"We've heard so much about you from Joongie! He says you're like...the prettiest. Personally I think Sannie or Yeosangie are prettier. You're more like…eternally beautiful. Like an angel or something" Wooyoung said, looking at Seonghwa. The blonde was..confused. Was is it normal to talk like that about more than one person? It was the first time, he heard a friend call another one "pretty". He thought that they relationship Yunho had with his friends was a deeper one but..were Wooyoung and Jongho involved too? This was very unusual for Seonghwa. In his village, there were only pairs and maybe an occasional triple..not this many. He heard Jongho sigh and then, the younger smiled softly at the laying male.</p><p><br/>
“We also heard that you’re incredibly kind and gentle with everyone. I’m sure once you start talking to other people in the clan, they will love you” The brown haired male said. Seonghwa smiled bashfully.</p><p><br/>
“I’m not that kind...I just treat everyone how I’d like to be treated. Why be cold or hostile towards someone who has no ill intentions?’ Seonghwa said, his ears turning away slightly to signify his mood.</p><p><br/>
Wooyoung looked like wanted to get a word in but he was stopped by a certain calico rushing into the medic's house. His hair looked slightly ruffled like he ran there or someone nuzzled his head for a longer time. His eyes searched the room until the fell on Seonghwa and calmed down, a small smile spreading over Hongjoong’s face.</p><p><br/>
“Ahh Seonghwa! I asked Yunho and he said I can take you out for a walk around the village. But I also met Yeosang and he reaallly wants to meet you and talk to you so the walk would be..to his house.” The tri coloured cat said, looking at Seonghwa and waiting for an answer.</p><p><br/>
“A...walk?” Seonghwa asked and Hongjoong nodded his head. Since coming to the clan, the blonde hasn’t been outside the medic's house</p><p><br/>
“Yep. A walk. To Yeosang’s house. Where you sit down and talk to him because he’s kinda the...history keeper, I guess? He keeps and writes informations about our clan” Hongjoong said and Wooyoung grinned.</p><p><br/>
“I can go talk to someone else...I don’t mind meeting your friends Hongjoong” Seonghwa said and slowly sat on the bed. He’s been doing exercises everyday to make sure he could move,at least a little, and now was the test if those exercises weren’t in vain.</p><p><br/>
He put his feet on the ground firmly and pushed himself off the bed. While he could stand, he felt that if he took a step, he would fall. He smiled at Hongjoong, who immediately put the blonde’s arm around his shoulders and grabbed him by his waist.</p><p><br/>
“Whipped more than the cream Sannie uses in cupcakes” Wooyoung said to Jongho and the younger giggled. They both watched as Seonghwa picked up a walking stick Yunho left by his bed and Hongjoong fussed over <em>the proper ways to hold and use a walking stick</em> of all things.</p><p><br/>
With Seonghwa holding onto the walking stick and Hongjoong holding onto Seonghwa, the four men walked out of the medic hut and went their own ways: Wooyoung and Jongho went to see San and Hongjoong with Seonghwa started slowly walking towards Yeosang’s house.</p><p><br/>
Seonghwa watched as people walked around, sat on benches or talked to shop owners. He was fascinated by anything that wasn’t the four walls and the ceiling of the medic's house. He walked carefully, making sure he didn’t stumble on a rock or a misplaced piece of wood to burn.</p><p><br/>
“How are you liking Aurora? It’s small but comfortable. Everyone knows each other but there’s no unnecessary gossip or drama. But Yeosang knows anything anyways. It’s kinda his job but he just really likes listening to both people’s problems and rumours.” The calico said, looking at Hwa. He wanted to make sure that the taller was one but also...he was just so pretty, he couldn’t help it but to look at him.</p><p><br/>
“I’m liking how everyone is comfortable with each other. People talk like they know each other for their whole lives” Seonghwa answered truthfully. “I also really like how the type of the material kinda indicates what the building is for. The shops are all with wooden roofs, the living houses are from bricks, Yunho’s hut is entirely from wood...” He added and Hongjoong nodded, listening to what the blonde had to say.</p><p><br/>
As they walked, Hongjoong describe what each building was, memories associated with them (but only the happy ones for now) and who did what in the clan. Seonghwa, despite not knowing about 90% of the people the calico mentioned, listened with interest, curious about how a clan other than his own worked.</p><p><br/>
Soon they reached their destination. A small house, made from wood painted white with a small fence around it. They walked in through the open door in the fence and Hongjoong grinned.</p><p><br/>
“So, ready to meet our lore keeper and spill all your secrets?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you liked this chapter!<br/>My Twitter at is @CottonAuroras<br/>scream to me about this fic, other fics or just Ateez and k-pop in general!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The long awaited back stories of Seonghwa and Hongjoong! I hinted at them throught the work but now they're the front and center of the chapter. What was Seonghwa running from? Why is Hongjoong living in self imposed exile? You will know from this chapter.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for waiting for this chapter! I started it in August but life's a bitch, Uni started and also I just didn't have motivation. But it's here! <br/>I hope you all enjoy it after this long wait.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yeosang always liked hearing people’s stories. From the lives of the cats living on the mountain who talked about building monuments to the cats of his own village, sharing gossip about their neighbours and sharing deeply hidden family secrets. He was fascinated with the way various people expressed emotion when speaking, how one could give away the ending of their story simply by smiling or crying. </p>
<p>So when an opportunity to become the next village librarian and history keeper arose, he accepted it without any more thought than you would put in breathing. He moved to the library and studied under the master librarian. </p>
<p>The stories written in the books Yeosang read were fascinating to him: From legends about the first cats to retellings of the greatests battles and creation of the different villages. There were also books that were slightly less story-like but interesting nonetheless: records of people being born and dying, marriage and bond papers, scribbles about gossips and rumours dating to long before the blond haired cat was even a thought in his parent’s mind. </p>
<p>When his mentor decided to retire, Yeosang vowed to keep everything running smoothly and compile as much history and facts as he could. This would involve a lot of work and a lot of dedication but he was willing to do it. He was always searching for new and interesting things to add to the collection. That’s how he heard about Hongjoong first, then Seonghwa. </p>
<p>When Hongjoong first came to the borders of Aurora, he was very secretive and very cold to everyone around him. He warmed up to San, Yunho and Jongho first who were actively helping him with building his house, weirdly just outside the clan borders, not inside it even though he was more than welcomed to do after explaining himself to the leader. To Yeosang himself, he got used by feeding the blonde small pieces of information and keeping him interested. </p>
<p>But they never really...met as friends. Yeosang was mostly busy in his archives, sorting, collecting and writing down information. Hongjoong mostly kept to himself, going into the village only when he needed to buy something or when he got hurt on one of his hunts. So the only times they really talked was when they saw each other running errands or in Yunho’s house. </p>
<p>He would describe their relationship as...close acquaintances, maybe he would call Hongjoong a friend if someone asked. </p>
<p>When he heard about how Hongjoong found Seonghwa, Yeosang was...intrigued. He was interested in this new man and how Hongjoong seemed so drawn in to him..so close. Sadly his work didn’t let him just go and ask Hongjoong or any of the others about the mysterious guest. </p>
<p>Until about a year later, when he heard from San at his shop that Seonghwa has been eager to go somewhere, take a walk around the village. Yeosang thought it would be a perfect time to meet the feline man. So when he next met Hongjoong, he told the calico to ask Seonghwa if he didn’t mind going to the library. Hongjoong agreed. </p>
<p>And so there he was, waiting for a knock on the door and two men standing at his doorway. To be honest he saw them through the window but still waited. </p>
<p>He was very excited at the prospect of finally learning Seonghwa’s (and potentially Hongjoong’s) secrets. </p>
<p>------------------------</p>
<p>“So, ready to meet our lore keeper and spill all your secrets?” Hongjoong asked Seonghwa, eyes shining. The calico would consider Yeosang a friend, maybe not a close one like Yunho or San but still a friend. They always had a pleasant conversation whenever they met, be it at a shop or going through the village. </p>
<p>“Yeah...Yeah. I’m ready.’ Seonghwa said, smiling and gripping Hongjoong’s hand in his own. He knew that sooner or later, he would have to talk about what happened to him. At least now it was with Hongjoong by his side, at his own pace. The calico assured him that Yeosang might be curious and ask questions but he won’t demand answers; Seonghwa can answer each one as his story unravels. </p>
<p>Hongjoong knocked gently on the wooden doors and in a second, they opened revealing a very attractive looking, blonde boy with striking blue eyes and glasses perched on top of his nose. His hair was longer, tied into a little ponytail at the top of his head. </p>
<p>“Please come in. I made some hibiscus tea from the flowers, I dried just yesterday” Yeosang said, voice soft, a little deeper with a slight rasp. It reminded Seonghwa of the warm sand on the beaches of his home village, of biting into a freshly baked cinnamon bun. He wouldn’t mind listening to Yeosang talk for a long time. </p>
<p>Seonghwa and Hongjoong walked into Yeosang’s home, which looked cozy,inviting. They walked straight into the living room which was connected to the kitchen in an open plan style. Right in front of the two men was a staircase at the end of the house. In the middle there was a carpet with a desk, probably used as a workstation judging by the amount of ink, quills and papers around it. Near one of the walls was a coffee table with a couch on one side and an armchair on the other. Everywhere they looked, there were papers, books or flowers lying on the floor or on the counters in the kitchen. </p>
<p>“Sit down, Sit down. I know it’s not much, I spend most of the time upstairs in the archive or in the Grand Library. I will bring the tea and cookies in a second” Yeosang said, a soft, calm smile on his face. The two guests listened and sat down on the couch, Seonghwa snuggling close to Hongjoong’s arm. He felt comforted by the calico’s presence, and knew he wouldn’t have enough courage to talk to Yeosang alone, no matter how pleasant the librarian was. </p>
<p>After a few minutes of waiting, Yeosang came in with a tray. On it were 3 cups of freshly brewed hibiscus tea and a place of what looked like oatmeal cookies. Quickly the smell of the tea filled the whole house and mixed pleasantly with the smells of old books and drying flowers. </p>
<p>“So...You came here to tell me about yourselves.” Yeosang said,putting the tray down and sitting on the armchair opposite the couch. He took off the ribbon holding his ponytail, letting his hair free before re-doing it a little lower than it was before. </p>
<p>“Well you walked up to me and said “I would really want to hear about Seonghwa from Seonghwa. Can you bring him to me?” when we met last time at Sannie’s shop.” Hongjoong said and chuckled, taking his cup and drinking some tea. </p>
<p>“What can I say? I’m just doing my job. What good archivist would pass up on the occasion to hear about a person directly from said person?” Yeosang answered, looking at Seonghwa. “After all, it’s not everyday a mysterious handsome cat comes almost dying to our village and makes you whipped” He added, munching on a cookie. </p>
<p>Seonghwa blushed. Him? Handsome? He never heard such words, much less from someone so pretty as Yeosang. </p>
<p>“Ahh thank you…. I heard many good things about you so I thought it would only be kind to tell you my story. I would have to, sooner or later.” Seonghwa said, his cheeks a rosy colour. </p>
<p>“Ahh such a kind, gentle soul. Would you mind if I wrote what you were saying?” Yeosang asked, looking at Seonghwa and smiling. He looked gentle and acted like that. The librarian thought that he might be an angel of some kind. </p>
<p>“Oh no,no, not at all. I’m here so you can do your job after all.” Seonghwa said and Yeosang chuckled again. An Angel indeed. He quickly gathered a piece of paper and something to write with from his desk before sitting back down. </p>
<p>“You can start at any moment you feel ready to. I know it might be a bit hard but you can take as much time as you want.” Yeosang said, putting on a pair of glasses meant to help his eyes while writing. Without them, he wouldn’t be able to read his tiny letters. </p>
<p>Seonghwa took a deep breath and then exhaled. He sat straight but gripped Hongjoong’s hand in his own. This was it, this was him telling his story for the first time since he ran away. Since he was brought into this lovely village with it’s lovely people and Hongjoong and Yunho And San and all of them. </p>
<p>“I guess...I will start with my village,” Seonghwa said,voice quiet, hesitant. As if he felt like talking about his past would bring hurt to everyone around him. “I lived in a seaside village called Oceanshore. We were a small community, mostly thriving off of fishing and selling jewelry made out of sea shells and glass. It was mostly peaceful, quiet. I had a bakery, a little food store with a tiny flat above it. It had only a bed and a bathroom but I was happy. “ A little smile came over Seonghwa’s face when remembering his job. All the children lined up to get fresh bread and a free pastry made from dough scraps. The old ladies asking him for his strawberry tart recipe and sharing their own. But his smile disappeared as quickly as it came. 

“But we had one problem. In a settlement near us, lived those who called themselves Hums. They didn’t have any ears or tails and their skin was a sickly grey colour. They always tried to hurt us, to make us submit. At first it was just random acts of violence: Burning our crops, poisoning our waters,stealing our fish...but then <em>it</em> happened.” Seonghwa said, voice wavering as if he was on the brink of crying. </p>
<p>“Shh...you don’t have to talk about it in much detail if you don’t want to.” Hongjoong said. He felt sorry for Seonghwa, wanted him to not relive the painful memories. </p>
<p>“It’s..It’s okay. I think talking about it will take some of the burden I carried through the years.” Seonghwa said, a small, sad smile on his face. “But thank you for your kind words.” He added. Yeosang stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt Seonghwa or the moment he had with Hongjoong. </p>
<p>“As I was saying the violence the hums brought on my village were random acts of violence and theft. Why our village? Maybe because we were the smallest, maybe we were the closest. Then on a seemingly peaceful day for us, They attacked. Our crops were burned, they set fire to anything and everything they could. They grabbed and killed people almost randomly. I remember being in my house, preparing to open the shop when I smelled burning. Thinking I left something in the ovens, I ran to the shop but what I saw was one of the Hums breaking the walls and another setting my shelves on fire. Before I could react, one of them hit me with a piece of wood and I blacked out. </p>
<p>I woke up in some sort of dark, dingy cell. My ankle was chained to the floor and my head hurt like never before. After some time one of the Hums came and told me that they picked me as an “experiment” and a “good test subject” They wanted to know why we had cat ears and tails, why the residents of our village lived the way we did.” Seonghwa’s voice trembled. Tears were streaming down his face and Hongjoong took it upon himself to wipe them and whisper sweet nothings to calm the man down, at least a little. </p>
<p>“I think...I think I went through every horrible test, every horrible experiment they could think of. Being starved, given no sleep...my ears and tail were cut, electrocuted, drowned….It’s a miracle that they still work.” He said, hiccupping. He didn’t want to go into the details of his time spent with the Hums. He wanted to leave most of that behind him. </p>
<p>“I endured hate, torture, everything awful for years probably. But one day I had enough. I didn’t eat for days, didn’t sleep….I just wanted to die by myself and not from their own hands. I came up with a plan. I knew they stored explosives in one of the rooms, they used them to temporarily deafen me. So I sneaked into that room at night, and when everyone was sleeping and turned the detonation clock to the beginning of the morning. After that I sneaked into a place I knew I could run from easily. When the morning came, I ran and thought nobody saw me but two guards managed to see me. I ran away just at the moment when everything blew up. For most of the time I just ran and ran and ran for I don’t know how long. And then...the rest is history. I fell near the border of your village, Hongjoong found me and brought me to Yunho. And I am so incredibly thankful for that.” Seonghwa finished. He felt exhausted, not physically but mentally but also as if a burden came off his shoulders. Finally someone knew his story. Someone could potentially save it and make it known. </p>
<p>“Oh, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong said, crying himself. “I ran away because I was tormented and hated for bringing bad luck to everyone. But you? You went through so damn much.” He said hugging the blonde cat tightly. </p>
<p>“Thank you for telling me your story Seonghwa. I will make sure it is archived and survives. When you’re in a better mood, you could talk to me about how your village used to be so we can save it’s traditions and memory.” Yeosang said, wiping a single tear from his eye. </p>
<p>“Your pain is as valid as mine is Hongjoong.” Seonghwa said, looking at the calico. “My miracle, you’re the reason I’m here today.” He said. Yeosang fake gagged. </p>
<p>“Yes, I think half of the village knows you’re soulmates whipped more than Wooyoung is for everyone. But please not in front of my notes.” He said and Hongjoong laughed. </p>
<p>“I didn’t say anything! It’s Seonghwa who’s always calling me a miracle for some damn reason!” Hongjoong said. “I am not a miracle. Bitch my home village thought I’m cursed.” </p>
<p>“You mentioned that a couple of times but never elaborated on that,” Yeosang said, sipping some of his tea. “Could you expand on it?” </p>
<p>“I guess Seonghwa spilled his secrets, I might as well spill mine.” Hongjoong said, huffing and pouting. He didn’t like talking about his past and his insecurities but he will do this once. For Seonghwa. </p>
<p>“I was born in not so small village called Pinesky. I guess it’s because where we lived, the pine trees were so tall, they looked like they reached the sky. There was this tradition that different colours of fur meant different things. If your fur was black, it meant you were strong physically but you had a short temper and weren’t good with people.  If it was brown, it meant you were soft and creative. If it was blond, you were weak but emphatic and good with people. If there was white added, it meant that the gods blessed you with purity and extra goodness. It was kinda bullshit because it meant people only wanted babies that were white and their desired colour. Mixing colours was thought of to be weird, that you shouldn’t mix traits like that. </p>
<p> There were some calico females born and they were usually either made into house maids for rich people, not meant to breed or made into whores for people to knock up for fun. Racism people, isn’t it fun?” Hongjoong asked, sarcasm clearly heard in his voice. “But then, <em>Oh no! A calico and also male! And he had white on himself. This must mean the gods hate us for some reason!”</em>  He said, doing impressions of the people from his village. He made the voice intentionally deeper and dumber sounding, to convey his distaste. </p>
<p>“As a kid I don’t remember much. They probably had enough decency to not hate on an infant. But from as far as I can remember, I was treated like I was something awful, like I shouldn’t have beeen  be born. I had to fight to get food, I had to sleep on the floor of an old house with my mom. She was a kind woman, the only person who treated me like an actual werecat and not an abomination.” Hongjoong said, a hint of a smile on his face as he recalled his mother. </p>
<p>“As I grew older, the torment and hate grew with it. I was given the worst jobs and earned  virtually nothing for them, I slept in an old chicken coop just outside the village. On the outside I acted tough but on the inside I just wanted someone to accept me. To treat me like a normal person. Years of hate make you question yourself, make you feel like maybe what they’re saying is true. </p>
<p>They reached the pinnacle of bullshit when after a particularly bad drought, the leaders say it’s my fault because I am the god’s disgrace after all and I bring in only bad luck. I cursed them and to break the curse they must sacrifice me to the gods.” Hongjoong said, visibly shaking from emotions and disgust. Seonghwa hugged him gently, hoping it would make the smaller male feel better. </p>
<p>“When I heard that I said “fuck you all”, took some food and the blanket my mom made when I was a kid and ran away. I slept over at some villages but then I met Eden, Aurora’s Leader. I explained my situation to him and he offered me a place. But I said I wanted to live, just outside. I wanted to avoid people, avoid having friends. I didn’t want anyone to hate me, for other people to think I might be cursed.” </p>
<p>“And that’s why you’re so hesitant to talk to anyone?” Seonghwa asked gently, looking at Hongjoong with big, sad eyes. Hongjoong sighed. </p>
<p>“Yeah. But then I met Yunho, San and Jongho helped me with building a house, this tea loving statue bugged me about my life...Wooyoung brought me food...I felt safe. Liked, for the first time. And then you show up, being all hopeless and pretty and calling me a fucking miracle and I just didn’t know what to do. I don’t want to live in a big village but I want to be close to you guys, to the few people whom I grew to care about.” Hongjoong says and Seonghwa sniffles. </p>
<p>“Aww you care about me~” Yeosang says, grinning at Hongjoong. “Yeah your village sucked hard. I never heard of such claims before. Here in Aurora, you’re responsible for what people say about you. Not gods, not your fur...only you.” Yeosang said. </p>
<p>A comfortable silence fell over the trio. The only things that could be heard was Yeosang writing and the sound of drinking tea and eating cookies. The words spoken by both Seonghwa and Hongjoong hung in the air. </p>
<p>“Maybe...Maybe we could make a village of our own?” Seonghwa said suddenly after some time. “Just us and some of our friends. We could ask all of the others if they would want to join” </p>
<p>“Our own village? What do you mean by that?” Hongjoong asked, confused and surprised with Seonghwa’s words.</p>
<p>“Our own village. A place where we could be ourselves, without our past weighing down on us, starting anew. You could be just Hongjoong, living among your friends, Hongjoong who writes pretty songs and makes blankets. I would be Seonghwa the baker, who makes bread and pastries and shares leftover dough with everyone. Yeosang would travel around the villages, sharing and gathering stories. It would be in a forest but pretty close to the beach, so we could hunt for fish and pretty glass smoothed down by the sea.” Seonghwa said, eyes sparkling happily. He looked like a child that just thought of the greatest christmas present. </p>
<p>“That...that could be an idea. As much as I like working here, in the library and archives, travelling around sounds exciting.” Yeosang said, smiling softly. </p>
<p>“Okay, okay...I’m intrigued too. But what about the others?” Hongjoong asked, looking at Seonghwa. </p>
<p>“We simply ask them if they want to go with us. If they want, that’s great. San and Yunho have people who are studying under them, those could simply take the jobs. Wooyoung and Jongho can just...go. I heard there’s many hunters here. And you’re one of few archivists Yeosang, they wouldn’t mind you going.” The blonde said smiling widely. </p>
<p>“We could ask around some people…”  Hongjoong said,half of his mind dreaming of the idea already. </p>
<p>And with that the prospect of their own village seemed more believable, closer. A space of their own, in which they could live together. </p>
<p>It sounded like a dream come true. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! Please a comment, they're a great motivation and I always reply to them!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoyed this fic<br/>My @ on Twitter is @CottonAuroras you can always talk to me in DM's, I love talking to people</p></blockquote></div></div>
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